Russian Troops Deployed to Airbase Still Hosting U.S. Forces in Niger
The Russian forces are using a different part of the Niger compound than U.S. troops there, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said yesterday (BBC)
The Pentagon said it is currently working with Nigerien officials to carry out an orderly withdrawal from the country after Niger’s junta ended a deal allowing U.S. troop presence (CNN)
Chad Aims to Continue U.S. Security Partnership After Holding Presidential Election
U.S. officials expect to return for talks on the matter within a month, the head of U.S. Africa Command said; last month, Washington said it was withdrawing troops from Chad at the government’s request (AP)
Meanwhile, public workers including police, military, and intelligence personnel in Nigeria will receive a pay raise of as much as 35 percent backdated to January 1, the government announced; annual inflation in the country rose to more than 33 percent in March (Bloomberg)
Force of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Troops Kill Senior Islamic State Commander
Malian state television said the commander was linked to several raids in the region; one such raid killed four American soldiers and several Niger troops in 2017 (BBC)
Burkina Faso Communications Regulator Suspends Swathe of Media Outlets
DW, Le Monde, and The Guardian were added to a group of suspended outlets following their reporting on a Human Rights Watch statement accusing security forces of killing at least 223 people in February (AFP)
Some U.S. Troops to Leave Chad Amid Strains on U.S. Security Posture in Africa
Dozens of U.S. troops are expected to withdraw from Chad in the coming days due to differences between U.S. and Chadian officials, three unnamed U.S. officials told the Washington Post yesterday; it is the second time in a week that U.S. officials acknowledged they will draw back from an African counterterrorism partner country due to a host-nation directive, as Chad follows a similar move by neighboring Niger (WaPo)
The decision to move U.S. troops out of Niger is final, while a Pentagon spokesperson said the shift in Chad was a “temporary step” and talks on security cooperation continue; Chad has maintained U.S. security partnership until now and is a major partner in U.S. efforts to combat extremism in the region (NYT)
Niger, as well as its neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, which are also run by their militaries, have distanced themselves from Western military partnerships in recent years and increasingly looked to Russia for military assistance (AP)
Earlier this year, Chad’s leader met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where Putin touted opportunities to strengthen relations (Reuters)
HRW: Burkina Faso Military Summarily Executed at Least 223 Civilians in One Day
Human Rights Watch said in a new report that the killings on February 25 appear to be the worst in the country in nearly a decade, and are part of a broad military campaign against people accused of collaborating with armed militants; the watchdog called for an independent probe supported by the African Union and United Nations (HRW)
Burkina Faso’s government did not immediately comment (The Guardian)
Nigeria Hosts UN-Supported Counterterrorism Summit in Abuja
The summit is focused on strengthening regional cooperation in response to terrorist threats; heads of state and high-level government officials across Africa are expected to attend, among others (This Day)
U.S. Agrees to Pull Its Troops From Niger
The United States informed Niger that it will fulfill its request to withdraw U.S. military forces from the country, three unnamed U.S. officials told the Washington Post; for several years, hundreds of U.S. forces monitored militant groups in the region from a base in Niger, but the country’s military government has sought an end to the U.S. troop presence after taking over in a coup last year (WaPo)
President of Chad Begins Campaigning, Pledges to End Military Rule
Interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby, who seized power in 2020, promised “peace and stability” in his campaign for next month’s elections (Reuters)
Thousands of Demonstrators Call for U.S. Military Exit From Niger
Russia delivered arms and military instructors to Niger just days earlier; the United States suspended military cooperation with Niger last summer, leaving American troops in the country inactive (NYT)
Last month, Niger ordered the troops to leave (NYT)
Russian Military Trainers, Equipment Reportedly Arrive in Niger
The trainers brought air defense systems and other gear as part of Moscow’s deepening security ties with the country, Nigerien state television reported yesterday; Niger’s military government agreed to strengthen its relationship with Russia earlier this year after expelling French troops (AFP)
Mali Junta Suspends Political Parties and Associations
The move comes almost two weeks after such groups issued a joint call to organize elections (AP)
Reuters: Forensic Experts Suggest Chad Opposition Figure Was Shot in the Head, Contradicting Military’s Claims
Prominent opposition leader Yaya Dillo Djérou appeared to have been shot in the head at close range when he was killed by the military in February; Chad’s military said he had died in an exchange of fire, though the latest findings were “incompatible” with this scenario, one expert said (Reuters)
Dillo was widely expected to run against Chad’s military leader, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, in May’s presidential election (DW)
Senegal’s President Inaugurated, Names Prominent Opposition Figure as PM
Bassirou Diomaye Faye rose from Senegal’s opposition coalition to the presidency after being detained as a political prisoner only weeks before the election; he pledged “systemic change” in the country during yesterday’s inauguration, after which he named opposition figure Ousmane Sonko as prime minister in a post on social media site X (NYT)
Political Parties, Civil Society Groups Issue Public Appeal for Elections in Mali
A promised transition deadline to set up elections lapsed last week; Mali’s military rulers broke a commitment to hold a vote and restore civilian rule by the end of March (Reuters)
Meanwhile, a month after suspected Islamist extremists kidnapped more than one hundred people in what is considered the largest abduction in Nigeria since 2014, families in Norno State are pressing local authorities and foreign governments for news and help with the rescue (WaPo)
Nigeria Releases More Than Three Hundred Suspected Boko Haram Members
The decision follows the northeastern Borno state court’s ruling that there is insufficient evidence to convict the arrested people of any crimes (Reuters)
Official Provisional Election Results Confirm Opposition Presidential Candidate’s Victory
Bassirou Diomaye Faye won with more than 54 percent of votes; African Union election observers commended the election, calling it peaceful and democratically mature (VOA)
Senegal’s President Recognizes Victory of Opposition Candidate
President Macky Sall congratulated Bassirou Diomaye Faye on his victory based on strong partial results from Sunday’s vote (AP)
Faye was released from jail only days prior to the vote and will become the country’s youngest-ever leader; he has pledged to fight corruption and vowed to reassert Senegal’s control over its natural resources (BBC)
Meanwhile, seven soldiers were killed in a suspected Boko Haram attack in Chad, raising concerns over the violent insurgency near Lake Chad in advance of presidential elections in May (AP)
Chadian Authorities Announce Bans on Ten Presidential Candidates Ahead of May 6 Election
The candidates were disqualified because their applications included “irregularities,” while junta leader Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno is still in the race; the political opposition said the election is meant to give only an illusion of pluralism in the country, as Déby is likely to win (AFP)
WaPo: U.S. Officials Held Closed-Door Talks to Mantain Troop Presence in Niger
The move follows the Niger military government’s announcement on Saturday that it was ending its security agreements with Washington effective immediately; the situation remains “dynamic,” U.S. officials said (WaPo)
Armed Groups Kidnapped At Least One Hundred People in Two Northern Nigerian Villages
The kidnappers abducted people in Kaduna state, where almost three hundred schoolchildren were abducted two weeks ago; Nigerian President Bola Tinubu did not immediately comment on the abductions (AP)
Niger Junta Revokes Military Cooperation Deal With United States
Niger ordered more than one thousand U.S. troops to leave the country as tensions between Niamey and Washington escalated following a visit from a U.S. delegation last week; the visit was intended to find ways to work with military governments in the region (WaPo)
A State Department spokesperson said Washington was aware of the announcement and is in contact with junta officials (State)
Senegalese Opposition Leaders Freed From Prison
Authorities released opposition leaders Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Ousmane Sonko ahead of this month’s presidential election; Faye is running against Amadou Ba, the former prime minister and preferred successor of President Macky Sall (Bloomberg)
Their release has boosted opposition prospects in the vote (Al Jazeera)
Nigeria Deploys Security Forces in Abuja in Response to Warehouse Lootings
The lootings have occurred across the country amid a cost-of-living crisis that has triggered violent protests and fears of hunger and instability; food prices have climbed by 35 percent since the start of the year (FT)
Senegal Announces New Election Date
President Macky Sall dismissed his cabinet and prime minister and announced a March 24 election date after weeks of protests and unrest; the vote had been originally scheduled for February 25 before he unexpectedly postponed it without setting a new date (NYT)